Preview: DTM Round 4, Lausitzring

Mercedes-Benz have won nine of the eleven races so far staged at the Lausitzring: last year, the team pulled off a triple victory when Bruno Spengler, Paul Di Resta and Jamie Green monopolised the podium

Over the last five seasons, it has always been a different Mercedes-Benz driver taking the honours at the Lausitzring, namely Bernd Schneider, Mika Häkkinen, Paul Di Resta, Gary Paffett and Bruno Spengler

After the first three races of the current season, Mercedes-Benz lead both the DTM drivers’ and the DTM team standings

Comments on the fourth race of the 2011 DTM season from:

Bruno Spengler (27, Canada, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class):

tops the drivers’ championship standings with 23 points from the first three races

won the DTM race at the Lausitzring in 2010, started from pole position in 2007 and set the fastest race lap in 2006

“The Lausitzring is one of my favourite tracks and I’m looking forward to driving there again. There are plenty of fast and slow corners which you have to brake very hard and late for. I like that. In setting up the car, you have to make sure that it is good on the brakes and has good traction, but also hugs the fast corners. I won the race last year, but that’s no guarantee of success this time round. Rest assured, though, that I’ll be doing everything I can with my team to finish at the front again.”

Ralf Schumacher (35, Germany, Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class):

claimed his second DTM podium of 2011 in the third race of the season at Spielberg

is competing in his fourth DTM race at the Lausitzring

“Two podiums in three races represents a highly satisfactory start to the season. Obviously I’m hoping to continue in the same vein. This won’t be easy, because in this year’s DTM, the drivers are more matched for ability than ever before. The Lausitzring is a complicated track where you have to get everything 100% perfect. Even so, as long as my team and I get the setup for our C-Class right and I adjust well to the circuit, I can get a good result here too.”

Jamie Green (29, England, AMG Mercedes C-Class):

started the 2005 and 2006 races at the Lausitzring from pole position and set the fastest race lap here in 2009

last year took third place on the podium

celebrated his 29th birthday on Tuesday 14th June in the run-up to the Lausitzring weekend

“The last race at Spielberg was a tough one. I was happy with my race pace and think I could have got a better result than P6 if I hadn’t got stuck behind traffic. I’m feeling optimistic about this fourth race of the season at the Lausitzring, especially as I finished on the podium here last year. The track is technically very demanding, especially in the tight infield section. On the first turn, there are good overtaking opportunities as we slow down from 250 to 70km/h within seconds.”

Gary Paffett (30, England, THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class):

has won twice at the Lausitzring (2005 and 2009)

achieved the treble of pole position, victory and fastest lap in 2005

“My season hasn’t exactly got off to the start I was hoping for over the first three weekends, but the car is getting better from race to race, and I feel more comfortable in it. The Lausitzring has just the one fast corner but plenty of other tight corners and chicanes plus a very long straight. On this track, the setup on the front axle has to be very good at low speeds. At the same time, it needs to have good traction for the many acceleration zones. I’m aiming to celebrate my first win of the season at the Lausitzring. It’s a real possibility, as my two wins in 2005 and 2009 prove.”

David Coulthard (40, Scotland, Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class):

finished in the Top Ten at Spielberg for the second time this season

occupied his first DTM Top 8 grid position in last year’s race at the Lausitzring

“I have mixed memories of the Lausitzring. My first race there last year didn’t last long, but on the other hand, I qualified amongst the Top Ten for the first time in my DTM career. P8 on the grid is still my second-best starting position in DTM. Next weekend, I would like to achieve a similarly good qualifying result and finish the race at least one place higher than last time in Spielberg. That way, I would open my points account for the current season and reward my Berlin-based Mücke Team in their home race.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“DTM has reached a new peak in competitiveness this season. When you have afree practice session in which 16 out of 18 cars are within less than half a second, and this is almost true of the fastest race laps as well, then it shows just how tight the competition has become. At least half of the current field are capable of winning, and I would rate many of our Mercedes C-Class drivers amongst the prime contenders. At the Lausitzring, we’ll be trying to continue our series of five wins in the last five races at this circuit. Indeed, of the 11 DTM races held at the Lausitzring, Mercedes has won nine in total. Of course, nobody is going to walk it at the Eurospeedway – but then DTM racing was never designed to be a leisurely outing for Sunday drivers.”

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